Applying to Cambridge a year early

Scroll to see replies

I was under the impression that you have to turn 18 on or before 31st December of your first year of university, otherwise you can't attend, no matter how clever you might be (something about child protection etc.?)

In any case, if I were you, I wouldn't apply a year early, even if you think you're ready to. You're more likely to get in if you spend that extra year strengthening your application and interview skills as much as possible, to give yourself as much of an advantage as you can over everyone else who's applying. You don't really gain anything by applying early, you just end up competing with people who have more experience than you.

As for which college will be best for Maths - Trinity probably has the best reputation, especially if you want to go into academia.

The Senior Wrangler at Cambridge, last year, was 15 when he started. And so 18 when he finished the BA.

Reply 21

tazarooni89

Original post by Defensive Gnome

The Senior Wrangler at Cambridge, last year, was 15 when he started. And so 18 when he finished the BA.

Perhaps I'm just thinking of the policy of an individual university then. Or maybe I'm thinking of admission onto a course such as Medicine. I'm sure I didn't just make it up :p:

Reply 22

Old_Simon

Generally apart from prodigies finishing their whole education ahead of time Cambridge is not in favour of exams taken early and their offers do not normally include them :s-smilie:

Reply 23

username1258398

Why would you want to apply early? As for your questions...

No, Cambridge will not accept only 2 A-levels. Their standard offer is A*s and As in 3 A-levels, and 1s in STEP II and III. They will not make an exception because you are applying early.

If you think you can meet their offer by year 12, go for it. You're going to be at a disadvantage to everyone, though, so unless you publish an academic paper and/or win the Fields Medal by year 12, you'll probably be rejected. Again, why apply early? There'd be no point in doing so.

Reply 24

KongShou

Thanks for the infos guys. I want to apply early because I just want to do everything a year early so that I would in theory receive degrees early as well. Is that not a good enough excuse?

I can certainly get 4 full a levels by the end of year 12, so that aspect wont be a problem. Why does everyone say that I will be at a disadvantage? Surely I am in favor as I have completed everything in half the time?

Reply 25

Defensive Gnome

Original post by KongShou

No, you won't be. They won't associate the speed at which you went through the A-Levels with your supposed ability; they'll put it down to school policy.

You need to take into account what one of the previous posters said; a lot of maths applicants will have around the region of 100 UMS. You risk being deemed below average, in terms of UMS, if you rush the process of exams.

Reply 26

Inazuma

Original post by KongShou

No; that is a terrible excuse and not even well thought out.
Cambridge will rather favour a more mature student than one who has tried to rush their exams for no reason. Can you get 95-100% UMS? have you so far?
There is absolutely no point. Just go normally, as hedgehog person (sorry lol) said, you cannot apply before Y13 anyway, as you haven't been moved up a year. Make the most of the time and do even better and build your application.

Reply 27

KongShou

I am certainly not rushing my exams. I have already learnt the whole syllabus and I am in the process of doing past papers. I have got 100% in C1 and M1, and in general all my exams are tending toward 95-100%. So that wont be a problem. As for physics and chemistry well physics is basically application maths and my dad is a researcher in organic chemistry so that isnt a problem either. I will certainly end up with good grades and it certainly wont be "rushed".

I dont see any harm in applying a year early. Can someone tell why the negativity? Surely it being more good than harm? I mean, I will be a year ahead of everyone else.

Reply 28

x__justmyluck

Email Cambridge admissions, they'll give you a better idea of the chance you stand. As long as you'll meet the full entry requirements by august 2015 you may have a chance but only they can tell you.

Also to a previous poster, you can't start a medicine degree before you're 18, it also gets a bit complicated with applicants under 16 as they technically have to have a legal guardian.

Reply 29

Inazuma

Original post by KongShou

But, Cambridge don't care if it's early.
And as hedgehog said; you aren't year 13. I can't find anything that says anything about this either way: if you do it, ring UCAS first. If they don't take under year 13, then this thread is pointless anyway.
And just because you have high UMS now, doesn't mean that if you try and do all the other A2s in one year that they won't be rushed.
There is harm in the risk of it being rushed, not accepted by UCAS, no favour or benefit to do so by Cambridge, you are not as mature and your only benefit is just because..

Reply 30

KongShou

I know it's certainly is possible. My teacher has rung Oxford and they said they are happy to consider my application should i desire so.

I still dont understand the harm in applying early. I wont mess up my exams easily.

Reply 31

KongShou

Original post by majmuh24

Can you please answer my question and tell me what you stand to gain by doing it?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Say my life span is 70 years, by applying a year early I have 53 years of doing research, if i dont apply early i have 52 years. Does that answer your question?

Even If I fail, I can still apply again, next year. Being better prepared and more mature and experienced.

everything to gain and nothing to lose.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 32

Inazuma

Original post by KongShou

-sigh- just do it, you don't seem to want to listen very much for someone so 'smart'. Ring UCAS as said. One year to mature now is far more beneficial than one year at 70.

Reply 33

KongShou

Original post by majmuh24

Fair enough, I don't really see the point though but whatever you want.

If you fail and try to apply again, the grades needed will be a lot higher and there is no guarantee that they will even let you apply again :s-smilie:

Posted from TSR Mobile

applying again makes no difference. I am certainly allowed to do so and they wont need higher grades.

Reply 34

Mallika

Original post by KongShou

There's no harm in applying early if you are 100% sure you can do it- many people do so. The problem comes when you aren't able to handle the pressure/stress and you mess up- which means you'll waste a year.

Also, what seems strange is your slight obsession with doing everything a year early- the point of doing things early isn't just so you can do it early- it's because you aren't being sufficiently challenged otherwise! I think it's better if you just ask Cambridge (I know you said your teacher called Oxford but different universities, different policies) whether it's feasible and whether they'll accept your application- if they say they will then go for it :smile:

(Possible challenges with your application: age, you probably won't have predicted grades/AS grades for your chemistry/physics A levels, other people will potentially have stronger applications... personally I don't think the hassle would be worth it for just a year)

Reply 35

ClickItBack

Original post by majmuh24

Can you please answer my question and tell me what you stand to gain by doing it?

Posted from TSR Mobile

I don't see anything wrong with his desire to apply a year early, if he finds A Levels easy and believes he has the capability to do so. What is the point in wasting a year doing random other subjects he may not be interested in at A Level, or sitting around studying on his own when he could have a structured course at Cambridge instead?

Original post by KongShou

I will be trying to apply to Cambridge a year early. I am currently in year 11 and will be finishing my GCSEs this year. Predicted A* for all subject. I have already took AS maths in year 10 and I will also be doing A2 maths this year and maybe also AS further maths. My teacher has told me to contact Cambridge to ask what they think about this, however I decided to wait until the results for the British Mathematical Olympiad Round 2 to come out before contacting.

Meanwhile I decided to ask a few question on here. First of all does this mean that I will have to take 2 more full A levels next year, namely Physics and Chemistry? Or will Cambridge give me a special considerations and accept only 2 A levels(Maths and Further Maths)? When should I hand in my UCAS and apply? I'm guessing that this will be September 2014 for the October 2015 entry. Which Cambridge college will be best for Mathematics? I want to become a research mathematician, so I wont be joining a company or anything. Im also just generally confused by this UCAS thing. If i apply in 2014 I can apply in 2015 again right? Would doing STEP this year help at all in applying? So i could potentially take STEP papers this year in year 11 and apply in year 12. Or is it better to take the STEP papers in year 12?

Thanks in advance. Am confuse...

You will have to take more A Levels, yes, they probably won't accept just the 2 A maths A Levels. If you actually want to go a year early, you should be applying in September 2014. And yes, you can reapply.

STEP is always helpful when applying though it's not a necessity you do it this year. You will need to know Further Maths to do STEP III anyway so it sounds like you won't have covered the requisite material till next year for that particular paper.

In my personal opinion, trying to cram 3 A Levels (FM, Physics, Chemistry) into one year, AND do the STEP papers, is not necessarily too difficult for you but suggests that you are not as far ahead right now as you should be to realistically consider applying a year early. That's just my take.

In any case, you should definitely email the University and/or colleges right now to see what their opinion is of your plan. It's best to get the official word on it.

As for 'I want to become a research mathematician, so I wont be joining a company or anything': I'd guesstimate 80% of my year at Cambridge felt the same way at entry, and this number probably ended up being 20% - and the number who will stay in academia all their lives is going to be like 2% imo :wink:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 36

ClickItBack

I'll add that the majority of mathmos I knew actually ended up doing 2.5-3 A Levels of maths (I did 3.5 for the lulz) - so if you want to do more than the bare minimum then you're looking at 1.5 Maths, 1 Physics, 1 Chemistry, for A Levels and at least 2 STEP papers. Again, not impossible, but I just don't think you're quite in the right place for it to be sensible to apply a year early.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 37

Defensive Gnome

Original post by ClickItBack

Maths, Further Maths, Further Additional Maths? What else is there?

Reply 38

ClickItBack

Original post by Defensive Gnome

Maths, Further Maths, Further Additional Maths? What else is there?

There were 21 maths modules when I did them, and 6 modules = 1 A Level. I dunno if it actually counted or not though.

I vaguely remember there being 24 modules available a couple years of before I did them, so you could have got 4 maths A Levels back in the day . . .